Gathering

Eleazar and Aurei prepare their forces

42.

Gathering

 

The whole day seemed like one big meeting.   Discussions, maps, reports from spies and airships, more discussions, planning sessions, preparing equipment and supplies, still more discussions and more examining maps.    By the time the sun was setting in the west, everyone involved was weary and hungry.

 

It was Duchess Aurei who had them come over to the Muddy Boot to relax.    There were far too many to simply fill up one of the Inn’s private rooms, so they joined in with the regulars and the many refugees in the town to relax.

Eleazar had cautioned all of them not to speak of anything to those who had not been part of the meetings.   Certainly there were many curious people, for the Inn rarely saw so many important people gathered together at once.

King Kylheilm V and his lieutenants sat drinking beer happily, while chatting with Darv and Beyon.    General Luca chatted with Captain Bruce and his sister, Lieutenant Lysa, while, just a table away, King Eiolmoel and Queen Synthaeia spoke with the Duke and Duchess as well as the new Sylvan Elf King, his bride, and the King’s Inion Sidhe Grandmother.

Zeatt sat with her husband, sister and Archmage Drake (or was it Devin?) as the other Drow from the Underdark that were to be involved in the various missions, sat nearby and listened.

Aeric and Alis spoke with Sam Mellis and Nansea, while Aaron and Abigae ate dinner with Mattleos and Allea.

 

It was an amazing mixture of races and even social classes, and as he stared through the front window of the Muddy Boot, Carn felt both pleased at the sight and somewhat sad.

The satisfaction came from knowing that here alone - perhaps --- in the entire world, various races could mingle and even befriend each other without erupting into combat.   How many Kings and wise men had longed to achieve such a Kingdom?

Yet the sadness came from within him.   Oh, he knew he would certainly be accepted if he entered the Inn and joined them.   He was part of Aedric’s team heading into the Faesidhe Forest the following morning to try to put down the Faesidhe rebellion.

But though they all seemed to accept him, he found it very hard to feel comfortable around all of them.  Certainly he had been very used to entertaining large groups of people, yet that had been many centuries ago and back then he had been ‘one of them’ - a normal sized, normal looking, Elf.

Even accepted by them, he was, by far, larger than all of them and he felt brutish and clumsy.   So he was content to sit out in the crisp winter air and stare through partially frosted windows at the camaraderie inside.

Clearly it was the Dullerms who were the catalysts.    They both seemed able to make various people feel important and welcome.    Carn scanned the interior, and found Mutt seated across the room in front of a table where the Practical Magician, Muld, sat, finishing recruiting people for his team still at this late hour.

Mutt definitely felt comfortable here, and Carn was very glad for that.    The young Elven magician that Eleazar had introduced them to just this morning, seemed to share the Dullerm’s mind-set about welcoming others.    He had managed to recruit some of the people from the town that had not joined the rest of them on any of their recent adventures.

Aside from Mutt, the Practical Magician had persuaded Allea due to her skill in magic, but also Thorm’s sons, Darv and Beyon- who were unlike their father as they were very satisfied to stay in one place rather than travel.   He had also gathered Jevon, Rick, and the Halfling, Tadd, who were Amala’s friends from her coachman days.

Perhaps most amazing was Muld’s recruitment of the elderly Mage Keith; the leading wizard of Westmark.

It was an outstanding grouping of experienced and inexperienced adventurers, and Muld seemed to have the charisma to pull it off.

 

This only added to the feeling of community that was present in the Inn this night.   Even the refugees seemed to sense it, and those willing to conform to the rules of the duchy found it quite easy to find their place in the city.

The Dullerms would be worthy rulers of the region, whether it was a new Kingdom, or remained just a duchy under someone else’s reign.  

Carn sighed deeply, smiling at the scene within.   Tomorrow they would begin their new missions and scatter to the four winds.  

But tonight was for family and friends, of warmth and contentment.

At least for all of them.

 

“What are you doing out here?”   It was Amala’s voice, coming from behind him.    He turned to find the Drow girl standing on the top step leading onto the wraparound porch, holding something in a cloth bag with something strapped to her back that was certainly not a great sword.

“What’s that you are carrying?”   He asked, though he knew already what it was.

She smiled excitedly and pulled the strings holding the bag shut then produced a small Lyre.

“It’s a lyre!”  She exclaimed, “Believe it or not, I actually found this one in Aranthi’s room.   She used to like to play it.    But look what else I found in one of the ducal treasuries.”

She sat the lyre in his lap and slipped the strap from her back, to reveal a well-crafted Lute.   It was somewhat large for use outside of a noble hall, but Carn didn’t have the heart to tell her this, as she seemed so excited to show him the musical instruments.

“It’s a Lute!  Mother says it belonged once to one of the musicians that played for Duke Gamel.   Isn’t it wonderful?”

She handed it to him happily for inspection.    It was a quality instrument, well-maintained by a musician who respected it and who had obviously treasured it.

“It’s a type we used to call a Court Lute.”   He told her, “They have a very nice range and rich sound, but you have to be careful when traveling with it, because they are easily damaged and not easily repaired.”

“Oh.” Amala responded, looking somewhat crest-fallen.

“You did fine.”  He reassured her, “It almost looks large enough for my thick fingers to strum.    The Lyre is also quite nice.   It appears to be the type that noble women use in their chambers, and that is why they were called ‘Chamber Lyres’ years ago.    They too are rather fragile, but they are compact and so travel well, if you are careful with them. “

“I thought they might be what I needed." She told him.

“Oh yes, you do indeed need both of them to learn the art of music.    You’ll need a flute as well, but don’t worry about that right now.    You have a very good eye for musical instruments.    That is excellent for a Bard to have.”

Her eyes glowed bright red in a way that would have been frightening if he had not known that it was how the Drow show strong emotion.   Knowing that, the effect was quite lovely.

“So I did alright in my selection?”   She asked him hopefully.

“Yes, quite well.   Were you trained how to play?”

“A little bit, when I was a girl.    We all had lyres, but I broke mine while practicing with some of my father’s swords.”

Carn grinned, “Well, that is one thing you probably don’t want to do, if you desire to be a bard.”

She returned his grin, “Don’t worry; I’m actually interested in learning now.    I know the basics, I think.    I would guess that I am fairly comfortable with a lyre.    Now, I must confess; I never have played a Lute.”

Carn nodded, “That will be no problem.   We will start with the Lyre, anyway.”

“So when do you start teaching me?”

“Tomorrow - on our way with King Aedric’s group.    I will teach you a few basic ballads that will lead you into spell singing - eventually.   But it is essential that you master the repetition of these ballads, as some of them are designed to call to a Bard’s mind the notes of the most common spell songs.    In combat, it is not always easy to remember how a spell song begins, but if you remember these ballads, then you will know the beginning of some of the major spell chanting. “

Amala nodded, “I understand.    There is no way to write any of this down, is there?”

“No, not to where it would actually help you.    The Bardic arts are passed orally and must be memorized.    If you have any doubts about your ability to remember…”

“No, I’m ready.” She said confidently, but her eyes betrayed more than a bit of uncertainty.  

“Don’t worry, Lady Amala, you will know the ballads so well that you will sing them in your sleep.   I’ve lived for over 2,000 years and I still clearly remember all of the ones that my master taught me.”

“Then I’ll do the same… master.”   She said to him.

“Alright, that is one thing we’ll have to clarify right away:  The use of titles.   Some bards instruct their students to call them master.   I’m not one of those.”

“Why?”

“Because it makes most students nervous and more anxious to please their masters rather than just getting the feel for the art.    So don’t call me ‘master’ or even ‘teacher’.   Just call me Carn.”

“Well, then you don’t need to use ‘Lady Amala’ around me either.   Fair trade?”

“Very well.”

“So what ballads will you teach me tomorrow?”

“Well, as we are going into the Faesidhe forest, I will start out with one that you may have heard of, ‘Nitthum Nui’.”

“Nitthum’s Lament?   My father sang that to me as a child.”

“It is about your ancestors - your great grandparents, Nitthum and Baella.”

“Yes, I know - they were Sialia’s parents, right?”

At the mention of her name, Carn’s face betrayed a moment of pain and Amala seemed to sense it.

“Sorry.” She said sincerely, “I forgot.”

“It’s alright.”  He replied in a whisper, “Yes, it is their story.   I wrote it for your grandmother, to honor their memory.”

“YOU wrote ‘Nitthum’s Lament’?!”   The Drow girl exclaimed in amazement.

“Yes, long, long ago.    In fact, you’ll learn that I wrote a number of the Elven ballads.”

“Wow.”

“It’s not that big of an accomplishment.”

“They’re sung all over the world, Carn!    You are their author.”

He shrugged, “Well, they’re just songs.  Anyway, I’ll teach you that one first and we’ll focus on your singing.”

“Won’t that song offend the Faesidhe Elves if they hear us singing it when we go into the forest?”

“Actually, I selected that song on purpose.   Sometimes this will help win them over, or perhaps remind them that their Lord -your father- is Nitthum’s grandson.    Or it could make them hostile.   It is a chance we will take, though we can balance it in our favor by skillfully singing.”

“I guess I’ve got a lot to learn, don’t I?”

“Yes, but you’ll do fine if you put your mind to it.”

“I hope so… hey, tell me; why are you sitting out here in the cold, instead of in there with the others?   They might like to hear some of the old ballads tonight.   It might inspire them.”

“I don’t know if I can do that anymore, Amala.    As a Bugbear, my voice is not the same and it actually could go against me.    I don’t want to sow discord tonight when there seems to be so much unity and happiness within.”

“Well, you could at least join in with them and be happy as well!”

He nodded, but made no effort to stand up.

“You don’t want to be in there, do you?” She asked, sitting down beside him.

“It’s…hard.   I know it sounds insane, but when you’ve possessed the same form for as long as I have, you begin to feel that you are what you appear to be.   So, when I feel out of place, I try to avoid these places.”

“Well, I thought a Bard performed in front of people.    How in the world are you going to show me how to be a Bard if you are afraid to be around groups of people?”

Carn grimaced, “That is a concern that I have as well.    I fear I might not be the best teacher.”

“Well, don’t worry too much, because I fear I might not be the best student!”

Carn chuckled, “You’ll do exceptional.”

“I doubt that.”

“I have no doubts.”

“How would you know?”

Carn leaned back against the back of the bench, “You have great natural charisma.    Those who possess this gift can overcome most obstacles.”

Amala looked skeptical, “I never really felt very charismatic.   Not like Aranthi - now she has charisma… or had it, I guess.”

The spark in her eyes faded as she missed her dead sister.

“Amala, you surpass her in charm and beauty.”   He blushed as he told her this, though he knew he had to share this truth with her.  

She looked at him as if he was crazy.

“Sure, I do.   She was ridiculously popular, Carn.    Everyone wanted to be her close friend, and there was a never-ending stream of young men vying to be her suitor.”

“Well, I am quite sure they would have pursued you with equal gusto, but you intimidated them with your confidence.”

“In other words, I scared them off!”

“Yes.    You should hear how the men whisper and talk about you.    Aranthi appealed to those who liked a ‘princess type’ of woman.    But many men find a confident tomboy to be very appealing.    Mutt and I used to be so amused when we were sitting somewhere public and you would go by.    There were always men watching you and whispering about you with smiles on their faces.   But if you turned around, they’d look the other way like timid children.”

Amala smiled slightly, “You’re making that up, aren’t you?”

“No, not at all.    Look at Lord Mattleos and Linel Demmet - they can hardly take their eyes off of you when you are around.”

“I don’t see them looking at me.”

“Well of course not!    They’re intimidated by you too!”

“I think you’re crazy, Carn.    So, if I did possess this ‘natural charisma’ like you say I do, would that make me a better Bard?”

“If you learn to use it properly, yes.”

“So you’ll train me how to do this?”

“I’ll try, Amala.    A big ugly Bugbear is not exactly the best example of charm and charisma!    I didn’t do too well when you had me speak to the Goblinoid refugees.”

“But how hard were you trying?    They’re not really your people, anyway, so that might explain your failure.”

Carn grinned, “Oh, I HATED Bugbears, when I was an Elf.    That is why the demon selected this form, Amala.    The form I hated the worst.    A well mannered Goblin or Orc can often fit in with a group.   Look at Mutt or Captain Bruce and his sister, for examples.    But a Bugbear is so big and shaggy that it is difficult for people to see past them.”

“But with effort, a Bard could achieve this?”

“Yes.”  He admitted with a sigh, “I suppose so.”

“Well, then don’t you think that the best way you can show me the power of the bardic arts is by proving to me how your skill can overcome people’s prejudice toward Bugbears?”

“Are you trying to teach the teacher?”  He laughed.

“You’re not my ‘teacher’ remember?   You’re just Carn.    So show me how it’s done.   Let’s go inside, and join the others, and show me how a Bard can charm everyone.”

“It will be difficult, Amala.   They know me as just a Bugbear.”

“I think you can do it.   Try it, at least, for me.    Then you’ll have taught me the power of the art.    Don’t worry, if you falter, I’ll just bat my eyes like a little princess at everyone and they’ll all just melt at my sweetness!”

They both laughed at her humor and to his amazement, he felt like actually trying it.   Perhaps she was more skilled than he knew.

“Very well, let’s go see if it will work.   But don’t expect a miracle, alright?     I’ll show you the best that I can do in the form that I am in right now.   You observe and we’ll discuss my failures and any successes that I have.”

“Okay.    Should I take these instruments with me?”

“Yes, I might want you to play something.    Bards entertain with music and playing and my hands are far too big to strum that lyre, though if things go well, I might try that Lute a bit later.”

“And remember this, Carn.”  Amala said with a playful grin, “If you fail to charm them, we are leaving town tomorrow anyway, so it won’t be any big loss.”

“Thanks.”   He chuckled, following the Drow girl into the Muddy Boot.

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[Elina]

"...and there were a never-ending stream of young men..." This should either be "...there was a never-ending stream..." or "...there were never-ending streams,.,"